Supreme Pass

The Supreme Court yesterday took a bye with respect to hearing an appeal of lower Court decisions which struck down bans on same sex marriage. By taking a pass, the Court has in essence said the lower Court’s decisions (that specific State bans were unconstitutional) were the best path forward for what they viewed as a purely social issue. Hmmm.

One might have thought that the Supreme Court would have jumped in and declared bans on same sex marriage discriminatory. But wait, the old religious rascal, coupled with political hypocrisy have mounted such a stir that it was more prudent for the Court to sit back and wait until even more States had decided to allow gay marriage before making any grand statement.

The Supreme Court’s cowardice position is more easily seen when one eliminates religion from the discussion. Marriage is fundamentally a contract between two people which spells outs how property will be shared. Marriage has tended to also conform to societal preferences on co-habitation and procreation. (Marriage, for example, between close relatives is outlawed for health reasons.) And, lets not forget that Federal and States tax codes, marriage also qualifies couples for attractive tax advantages.

In the eyes of the law, religion plays no part. So why should so many religious traditions be opposed to same sex marriage? Why would these traditions wish to deny a loving, consenting couple from receive the same treatment if one of the couple were hospitalized and needed a consent on treatment? Why would any religion (assuming they believe their god is good), feel their marriage was threatened were other same sex couples to receive the same treatment in civil marriage ceremonies?

Ignorance certainly plays a role. Younger Americans who have had the advantage of a lot more awareness of homosexuals in their daily lives overwhelmingly support same sex marriage.

“Turning the Queen Mary” of conservative opinion is another reason.

The main stream religious traditions have spent so much time for centuries denigrating homosexuality that they are unable to admit they were wrong. The Catholic Church, with a long infamous history of denying science and banning books, has a very weak argument that they are right this time.

For traditions like catholicism, it will be the collection box which suddenly changes Church dogma. The Supreme Court pass has moved the same sex marriage boat a little further away from the dock.

With politicians clambering to get on board, churches won’t be far behind.